IFRIT
by the Red Nothing
Summary: Team Rocket attacks a young girl with a Pokemon, accidently sending her over a 300-foot drop. But the girl they "killed" lives, saved by a mysterious Pokemon named "Ifrit". He tells her TR is being taken over by an evil Pokemon, and only she can bring to
1. Bones and Worlds Shatter

IFRIT  
  
By Akai Ku  
Chapter 1~ Bones and Worlds Shatter  
  
Eileen Shinkai was in a jovial mood despite the overcast sky as she walked along the rim of DeathSide Canyon in Johto. She was only fourteen, but her six Gym Badges proved that she was a worthy adversary in a PokeMon battle . Her parents had warned her it would be dangerous to travel alone in Johto, and that she should stay with them in Pewter, back in Kanto, but she wasn't alone: She had her PokeMon with her.  
  
It was no wonder her Mom and Dad were worried, seeing all the fuss about the murders in Johto. The victims were all rich, most with many strong or rare PokeMon, so naturally Team Rocket was the prime suspect. But all of the murders had taken place out-of-doors, and the wounds were too ferocious to have been made by humans, so it was now the popular theory that a wild Pokemon, a new and brutal species, was the cause. Besides, Team Rocket was an organization of thieves, not killers.  
  
Eileen was musing about capturing this Pokemon, possibly taming it, when she saw a young boy, maybe about ten, a short distance away. When he spotted her, he began to scamper toward her, along the ledge of the 300-foot-deep canyon.  
  
"Hey, watch it!" Eileen shouted. "It's dangerous!" But the boy paid her no heed until he finally reached her, panting for breath.  
  
"Heh heh. You look weak."  
  
Eileen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, you look naive to be running along DeathSide Canyon in this drizzle." Sure enough, it had begun to drizzle.  
  
"Enough small talk," the brown-haired youth said. "I challenge you to a battle!"  
  
Eileen grinned. "Sure, if you think you can last five seconds." The boy grinned right back. These "Trainer Taunts," were really all in good fun. As the two prepared for the fight, two pairs of eyes watched them intently from the foliage.  
  
"Raichu, go!!" The evolved form of Pikachu emerged from the youngster's PokeBall. Eileen grinned as she readied a GreatBall.   
  
"OK, Mentus, get 'em!" A Kadabra emerged from the GreatBall, eyes glowing. The two young trainers issued their commands at the same time.  
  
"RAICHU, THUNDERBOLT!!!"  
  
"Mentus...PSYBEAM!!"  
  
Thunderbolt hit Mentus, but she hardly showed a scratch. Raichu, on the other hand, went careening from the blow until he finally hit the ground with a dull thud, KO'd..  
  
The boy mouthed the word "Whoa," as he returned his felled PokeMon to its ball. Eileen followed suit as the rain became steady.  
  
"So," said Eileen, smirking, "had enough?" The youngster opened his mouth to reply when there was a burst of thunder as the rain began to fall in sheets.   
  
"Uh-oh. Looks like a squall..."  
  
"Tell ya' what, kid: I'll call it a draw." Eileen could barely see the boy through the pouring rain. She held out her hand for a shake, as did he. She noticed his PokeGear....  
  
"You want my number?" The boy's face lit up like a lighthouse beacon. "Do I ever! My name's Tim!!"  
  
Eileen chuckled, then shivered. (Should've worn a jacket,) she thought to herself. "My name's Eileen Shinkai. Dark and Psychic types are my faves when it comes to Pokemon, I guess, but anything'll do." A pause. "Look, I can hardly see you through this rain! Hurry up and give me the number! I've freezin'!!"   
  
The two new friends laughed as they exchanged numbers. Eileen began to walk one way, along the canyon, but not too close, while Tim went the other. (I'll call Tim later, to make sure he got to a PokeMon center OK,) she thought. (We'll probably chat awhile, too.)   
  
But Eileen heard Tim's voice a lot sooner than she thought she would.   
  
"EILEEN, LOOK OUT!!"  
  
Eileen turned around and, in the pouring rain, could barely make out the form of a charging Tauros coming toward her. She thought she saw two figures behind it. A letter was on their shirts. A P? A G? An...R?  
  
"TIM, GET OUT OF HERE!! JUST RUN FOR IT!!" That was all she could manage to say before the Tauros's head connected with her chest, sending waves of pain throughout her body. She went flying, sailing through the air, head throbbing, and then down.  
  
Down, into the 300-foot depths of DeathSide Canyon.  
  
*******************************************  
The Rocket Executives Mikki and Peter stood looking open-mouthed into the abyss of the canyon that was now a grave. Not that they could see far at all; The rain was beating down in full force, with small hailstones mixed in with it.  
  
"I-I never meant to kill her..." Peter stuttered, breaking the silence. "I just wanted to knock her out.... Grab those PokeBalls..."  
  
A short pause before Mikki replied: "Well, it's not as if Team Rocket's never killed a human before," she said, nonchalantly, "It's just a shame her PokeBalls fell down there with her..."  
  
As Mikki and Peter walked away, Peter stole one last glance at the chasm, and offered a silent prayer for the nameless child whom his own PokeMon had killed.  
  
  
  
  



	2. A Blanket Of Cold, A Touch Of Warmth

Ifrit  
By Akai Ku  
Chapter 2: A Blanket Of Cold, A Touch Of Warmth  
  
It had been two hours since the murder, and night had fallen. Three-hundred feet below the murder scene, in the grassy valley at the bottom of the canyon, the dead girl woke up. Eileen immediately wished she hadn't, and squeezed her eyes shut again. It didn't help anything at all.  
  
Her numbed mind couldn't sort out anything at first, save for one thing that surged through every cell: Pain. She knew that her legs and right arm were broken for sure, and that she must have cracked many ribs, and who knew what else. The next thing that surged through her body was cold. She had worn only a white T-shirt, her blue bandana, jeans, and a pair of hiking boots that day, and the hail and rain had gotten even worse than before. Her drenched shirt clung tightly to her torso, beneath it the wet grass, covering her in what felt like a blanket of ice.   
  
She made a gurgling sound in the back of her throat out of terror as she saw her own blood trickle down over her eye.  
  
Then she remembered everything. Who she was, Tim, the battle, Team Rocket...  
  
( So...The police were half-right,) she thought to herself, trying to focus on something other than the pain and the cold. (Those murders probably WERE committed by Team Rocket, but they used their Pokemon to do the dirty work. Disgusting....)  
  
Every respectable person thought that using Pokemon for evil was horrible, as the Pokemon would become evil as well. But killings...  
  
Eileen shivered, then gurgled again: It hurt to shiver.   
  
She had to call for help. She opened her eyes almost reluctantly, only to find her mangled PokeGear inches from her face, totally useless. (Like the gods adding insult to injury,) she thought dismally. (It doesn't matter...I don't think I can move anyway...My jaw feels like it's broken....)  
  
Eileen struggled mentally to stay alive, but it soon became too much, too cold. As she let her consciousness drift into death, she thought she saw a fireball darting through the tall grass, like a vision, at the speed of wind. Just as death was about to embrace her, the fireball vanished with a whoosh.  
  
And it was warm.  
  
She felt as if a giant paw, slightly larger than her head, had been placed on her back. But it wasn't heavy: She could hardly feel it at all. From it, heat flowed into her body, so comforting and relaxing. She could see the orange reflections of flames dancing around her. Was this warmth the fireball she'd seen? It didn't feel hot -just warm. And soothing.  
  
Eileen finally allowed herself to slip into the darkness, but only the serene darkness of a peaceful sleep.  
  
  



	3. Salvation At A Price

Ifrit  
By Akai Ku  
Chapter Three: Salvation At A Price  
  
Eileen woke up the next morning to the serene chirping of birds, face down in the grass. It took her a moment to figure out what she was doing there. Suddenly, a voice filled her head, a deep, powerful bass voice, yet somehow still gentle:  
  
**CANST THOU STAND, MINE CHILD?**  
  
Terribly startled, Eileen leapt to her feet instinctively, forgetting how seriously she had been wounded. She whirled around and drew in a sharp breath when she saw what had "spoken" to her.  
  
It was so bizarre, but standing there in the sparkling, dewy grass, and a rainbow shining brightly behind it, it was truly beautiful. It was almost like a giant dog. It had mostly light brown fur, fur that gave off a strange light. Its paws were a grayish white, and there was what looked like a chain less, steel manacle above each paw. Its face... Its face looked almost as if it was wearing three masks, one on top of the other on it. A red one on the bottom, the largest, covering the entire face and stout muzzle.. Then there was a golden mask, coming from the bridge of the creature's mask-covered muzzle, up to the top of its head, forming a "flat crest". The third was a silver mask, very small, and it formed a small, angular, "mustache," though that wasn't really a very good way to describe it at all. All three "masks" were glowing brightly, like fire. It had stiff wings, the same silver color of the tiniest mask. Lastly, it had a long, flowing white mane.  
  
Eileen stared at the amazing creature. "Wh-what are you?"  
  
A warm, happy feeling seemed to fill her chest, making her smile: Laughter. **I SEE THOU CAN STAND. THAT IS GOOD.**  
  
Eileen started. Sure enough, she was fully healed, the pain gone. Had she been hurt at all? Was it all a dream...?  
  
**NO, IT WAS ALL REAL, MINE POOR CHILD. THE SCARF WORN BY THEE ON THYNE HEAD...LOOK AT IT...**  
  
Eileen's hand shook as she reached for her bandana, partially because she was afraid of what she might find, partially because the beast could read her thoughts.  
  
It was soaking wet. She pulled back her hand in surprise, and found it to be red with her own blood.  
She swallowed, trying not to vomit. When she peeled the bandana off of her head, the entire square of cloth was crimson, but there was no wound, not even a scratch, on her scalp.  
  
"What the hell is going on?"  
  
The giant, fiery dog advanced a step. Eileen felt almost as if she should advance too, but stopped herself.  
***WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CANYON. THOU HADST FALLEN, BROKEN NEARLY EVERY BONE IN THYNE BODY....***  
  
"THEN WHY CAN I STAND UP?!" Eileen was screaming, tears running down her cheeks. She was in a state of total confusion; everything natural and logical to her seemed as if it were being thrown down and danced upon.  
  
***THOU WERST DYING. FREEZING TO DEATH. I WARMED THEE WITH MINE FLAME. BUT ALL WHO FEEL ME...ARE PART OF ME...***  
  
"Huh...?" She was beginning to feel so full of awe from just looking at the beast that she found herself respecting it instinctivly.  
  
***WHEN MINE HEAVENLY FLAME HEALED THEE FROM THE COLD, IT HEALED YOUR BONES AS WELL. BUT MINE FIRE IS NOW PART OF THEE, AS THEE ART NOW A PART OF MINESELF. WE BREATHE TOGETHER. WE MOVE TOGETHER. WE THINK TOGETHER...***  
  
Eileen forgot the awe. She embraced rage. "You stupid m-mutt!!" It felt odd to insult the beast, like she was insulting Fire itself. "You can control me!? READ MY MIND?!"  
  
The beast closed its glowing eyes calmly, as if it were meditating, then opened them again before its booming bass voice rumbled inside of Eileen's head again.***NO. ONLY IF YOU WILL LET ME LOOK. I AM NOT AN ENEMY; I AM A FRIEND. SOMETHING EVIL IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN... I KNOW. TO HUMANS AND POKEMON ALIKE. I KNOW.... WE OF THE STONE ARE NOT WRONG OFTEN...***  
  
(We Of The Stone...) That's when it hit Eileen, hard.   
  
"You're... Entei, The Legendary Dog of Fire?"  
  
A slow, deliberate nod from the beast- no, the deity.. Eileen fell to her knees and hung her head, trembling.  
  
"I-I didn't think... I thought this was some stupid joke... I know it can't be but... I still thought...Entei... A prank..."  
  
  
Entei's voice filled her head again, but this time, it was not so strong. It wasn't like a great bonfire anymore: More like the flickering flame of a homemade wax candle licking the cheeks on a cold winter night.  
  
***It is all right, Eileen. I know thyne name. I know many things, like what the volcanoes say, what the sun thinks... Mayhap thou shouldst know mine name?***  
  
Her head snapped up. She looked into the god's burning eyes with curiosity, not flinching. "Do...Do gods have names?"  
  
Entei's laughter again. Eileen liked it when he laughed. ***Yes...We do hath names. Mine name is Ifrit. I knoweth not what it means: It simply means that I Am Ifrit.***  
  
And Eileen understood this. She ran her fingers through Ifrit's fleecey mane. "This evil... Is it the Rockets?"  
  
***Thyne question couldst be answered with a yes or a no... Yes, it is the "Rockets,"... But they are going to be wiped out in time... It is their leader who is to blame. He hast taken the genetic code of a Pokemon and twisted it...***  
  
"Like Mewtwo?" Almost no human soul knew who or what Mewtwo was, but since Ifrit was extremely familiar with the it, Eileen at least knew some details.  
  
***Yes, almost exactly like that. They even used Mew's genetic code again... In a sense, this is "Mewthree"...***  
  
"Did he kill those people?"  
  
***All of the people he killed were undercover Rocket agents...***  
  
Eileen took a step back. ***Rich with many Pokemon... Does it not make sense?"***  
  
"It makes sense Ifrit... Sort of... Why does he want them dead? Do you even know? I...can't find it...."  
  
Ifrit shook his great, snowy mane. ***No, I do not. I sense it will be ominous and disastrous for all things living... Mewthree is quite strong.... I had feared we couldst not stop him... But with thyne help, we may. ***  
  
"You need my help...?"  
  
***Yes, mine child. We need a human to bring us together, to bind us. We alone cannot do it... Defeat this "Mewthree".***  
  
Eileen looked confused. "Who's 'We'?"  
  
Ifrit stared into space, then said in voice like dying cinders:  
  
***Shiva, Ifrit, Ramuh; The Element's brethren.  
Allamilhandau, Illex's Guardian.  
She who hides in shadows, of death's darkest night,  
He, of twisted human thoughts, who glows of unholy light.  
But these six all together must be bound,  
And a human who can do this, living must be found.***  
  
  
***Yes, I know thyne "sixth grade English teacher" could write better verse,*** said Ifrit, chuckling, ***but these humans were new to our earth...***  
  
Eileen laughed, for that was indeed what she had been thinking. Then her face became quite serious. "All right... I've got to get you, Riakou Suicune, and Mewtwo together... I don't know who 'she who hides in shadows' is, and as for Illex Guardian, I've no clue what to do..."  
  
***To start with,*** began Ifrit, ***thou must remain dead...***  
  
  
(AUTHOR'S NOTES): If the "Ye Olde English" is confusing, e-mail me. It's going to stop in the next chapter, because Eileen will be able to 'translate' Ifrit's thoughts better.  
No, they are not the Final Fantasy Espers/Summons/GFs/Eidolons; I just stole some of their names. But MOST of those were excellent games.   
  
  



	4. Sakura Chi

Ifrit  
Chapter Four  
  
Sakura Chi  
  
" 'Stay dead', eh?" Eileen said, looking right into Ifrit's burning eyes.  
  
***Yes,*** Ifrit stated. ***Eileen Shinkai is officially gone from this world. There must be no further connection between yourself and she whatsoever. She is gone.***  
  
Eileen started. She didn't think 'staying dead' meant THAT much. What about her friends? What about her parents? What about...?  
  
"My Pokemon!" she yelled. She glanced down at her belt, which now only had one Pokeball on it. She crossed her fingers as she released the Pokemon, then sank to her knees as she saw just an unhatched egg emerge.  
  
Ifrit merely blinked. ***You may keep that one. It is not Eileen's. It is No One's. The others have fallen off of your belt.***  
  
"Did the Rockets get them?"  
  
***No.*** Eileen did not question Ifrit's judgment. She did not ask how he knew her most trusted friends were not in danger. She nodded to Ifrit. He then half walked, half paced, over to a largish stone.  
  
***Underneath this. Look.***  
  
Eileen ran over to the rock and tried to flip it over with one hand. It went sailing more than fifty feet into the air before finally landing with a "splash" in a nearby river. Eileen paused briefly.  
  
***It is my strength. You are no longer fully human, my child.***  
  
It was almost funny how such a huge message had suck little effect on Eileen. She nodded, then reached into the small hollow below where the rock had been. She pulled out a beautiful knife, made of a shining red stone, on its hilt a carving of Fujiama [1]. As she fingered the sheathless blade in her hands, a strange calm and awareness came over her.  
  
She stared at the weapon a moment, and then silently began to work.   
  
She walked over to Ifrit, and in one deft swipe, severed most of his mane. His throat made a deep rumbling sound, but he did not seem to object. She set the magical white fur down and turned away as it began to weave itself.  
  
She snapped a branch off of a nearby tree, then skinned the bark off with her knife until the branch was practically white. On one end, she made a wicked hook, and the other end, she carved a hole, and through it she looped her bloody bandana. When she tied it, the stick looked like a sinister banner, ready to be carried off into the battlefield.  
  
She turned back to where the fur had been. It its place was her new outfit.. There was a light blouse, silken-looking and rosy-gold, made for a ninja, as were the slacks that lay beside it. Thin, black gloves, ones that would allow free movement of the fingers. The final item was a crimson cloak, the very color of her own blood, thick and heavy, with a great hood.  
  
She took off the dead girl's clothes and put on her new ones, finding they allowed her to move swiftly.  
  
Like leaves in the wind, she mused, thinking about something a trainer had once said to her -No, said to Eileen.  
  
Even the cloak was of little hindrance. She looked all about as her cape flowed like water behind her. She then took her knife and brought its tip right below her left eye socket.  
  
The slash was swift but brutal. A deep, burning gash appeared where the blade had struck, running from below her left eye to her right cheek. The blood cascaded onto her face, then down onto chest as she threw her hood over her head, making her face invisible.  
  
"Eileen Shinkai is dead," she stated. "I am Sakura Chi." Her eyes had begun to glow red beneath the hood, and the blood flowed into her mouth as she spoke.  
  
***THEN COME, SAKURA CHI. NEVER SHOW YOUR FACE OR SKIN. NEVER REMOVE THE HOOD, NOT EVEN WHEN ALONE. FOLLOW ME TO FIND MY BROTHER AND SISTER.***   
  
Sakura Chi picked up the knife and stick, then followed Ifrit into the thick, dangerous forest that ran out of DeathSide Canyon.  
  
  
([1] What the Japanese call Mount Fuji)  
  
  
  



End file.
